Digital Shades, Vol. 1

iTunes Review

Digital Shades, Vol. 1 is the fourth release by M83’s Anthony Gonzalez. It's the first in what's intended as a series of recordings that are pure ambient expression: one of Gonzalez’ many musical influences. M83’s previous works are a mix of atmospherics and pop confection, with nods to shoegazing and dance beats as well as traditional electronic soundscaping. Gonzalez self-produced Digital Shades in his home studio, and as one absorbs its rich, expansive textures and sounds, it’s easy to visualize the artist bent over keyboards, lost in his work, oblivious to time, and utterly alone in his head. He has a unique skill for manipulating electronically manufactured sounds into something breathing and living; every exhalation reveals and reshapes. The tidal effect of “Waves, Waves, Waves” is lulling and transportive. The beatific vocals and circling layers of “Coloring the Void” are profoundly moving, while the ethereal and beautiful “Highest Journey” invokes both vastness and intimacy. Borrowing from masters like Brian Eno, the French-born Gonzalez has created a cinematic, ambient masterwork.